Malaysia’s Mystical Martial Art
Have you heard about Silat, Malaysia’s very own form of martial arts? Silat owes its heritage from its roots in the traditions and culture of Malaysian civilization and is listed under UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. To this day, around 20% of national schools offer silat training as part of their extra-curricular activities program.
According to historians, Silat was promoted and celebrated among royal families and clans, signifying their superiority and authority over others. There are many versions of this martial art inspired by the motions of human anatomy, nature, and animals. For example, Silat Harimau, which translates to ‘Silat Tiger,’ involves a rhythmic aesthetic movement imitating the art of self-defense and tiger attack.
Similar to other types of martial arts, Malaysia’s silat system consists of a seven-level belt system that identifies and ranks using the colors white, blue, brown, yellow, green, red, and black belt. The seven basic silat self-defense techniques that students must master are punching, kicking, using the elbow, sweeping, catching, locking, and counterattacking.
Curious to find out more? Check out this video to catch some basic Silat techniques that you can practice in the comfort of your home!
